Padres CEO Jeff Moorad thinks of Kevin Towers as “a gunslinger,” and, he added, “a masterful one, at that.” What he wants is someone who can put more of the “general” in general manager.

Strategic thinking is the crucial quality Moorad is seeking as he attempts to steer the Padres in a new direction following 14 years of Towers' sometimes seat-of-the-pants stewardship. Moorad wants to rebuild his baseball operation from its foundation, to develop detailed short-, mid-and long-term plans, and he has decided that Towers is not the right fit for those responsibilities.

“The organization is indebted to Kevin for not only the 14 years he served as general manager, but for the fact that the club is well-positioned to go forward into the future,” Moorad told the Union-Tribune in an exclusive interview before Friday night's game at Petco Park. “I think we need to build a better baseball operations department, better skilled at the areas we're committed to going forward.

“I admire (Towers') skills very much and respect his relationships that exist around the game. But I think over the next period of time, our focus is on more of a strategic approach to drafting and development that has a chance to compete in the division year-in and year-out.”

Three weeks ago, in a conversation Moorad described as “emotional,” the Padres' chief executive officer informed Towers that the club had decided to explore other options but had not yet reached a definitive decision about the future of its front office.

Friday, amid mounting speculation and media reports, Moorad confirmed that Towers was indeed out and that potential replacements have already been interviewed.

Moorad declined to discuss specific candidates, except to say that his search had not been internal. Arizona Vice President Jerry DiPoto, who joined the Diamondbacks during Moorad's tenure in Phoenix, is considered a leading contender. Pat Gillick, who built World Series champions in Toronto and Philadelphia, has said he might leave semi-retirement at age 72 for the right situation “on the West Coast.”

Moorad said he might perform additional interviews before hiring Towers' replacement, and indicated that the process may yet take weeks rather than days. Until then, and beyond, Towers remains officially welcome on Tony Gwynn Drive.

“I've enjoyed working with Kevin over the last six months immensely,” Moorad said. “I have great respect for him. This is not someone getting shoved out the door, but rather this is about a decision for the organization for the long-term ...

“He's been told that he can office here, he can stay here for as long as he's comfortable being around. This is a person I care about, I've enjoyed working with, and I understand that there's a strong likelihood that he'll end up being a general manager elsewhere.”

Firing Towers now leaves the Padres responsible for his 2010 salary, estimated between $1.5 million and $2 million. Should Towers be approached by another club, the Padres may be able to reduce that obligation through negotiations. Ultimately, Moorad said, the Padres concluded that their alternatives were to replace Towers now or to extend his contract; that keeping him around as a lame duck was unacceptable.